Bottle-cap remover.



F. J. KRISTOFEK.

BOTTLE CAP REMOVER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I7. I91].

'mmfiwo Patented Sept. 10,1918.

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FRANK J. KRISTOFEK, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN & BIGELOW, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

BOTTLE-CA]? REMOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 10, 1918- Application filed May 17, 1917. Serial No. 169,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. KRIs'rornK, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Bottle-Cap Removers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a bottle cap remover in which a simple device is provided for quickly removing paper cap stoppers from dairy bottles.

The primary objectis in providing a device formed from a single piece of material having a piercing element and spring engagin plates which prevent the disengagement irom the engaging plates when the device is in use.

A further object is in providing engaging plates which assume a wedge shaped grip ping member when pressed between the fingers of the user, so that the bottle cap can be easily pulled or disengaged from the bottle. When the pressure is released on the engaging plates or sides, they will expand to normal position.

It is also an object to provide stifiening and strengthening means in the piercing element so as to prevent the same from bending or easily breaking when in use.

In the drawing which forms part of this specification Figure 1 is a perspective of the bottle cap remover.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cap remover.

Fig. 3 illustrates the cap remover in use.

In the drawing, A represents a bottle cap remover formed from thin sheet spring metal or other suitable material, by stamping the same with a die. The sheet 1 is bent U shaped so as to form engaging plates 2 and 3 which lie normally parallel to each other. Forming the remover A from spring material 1 allows the plates 2 and 3 to be pressed together easily and to return again to normal position parallel to each other.

The cap remover has an arrow shaped piercing element 4 formed with a central longitudinally disposed stiflening rib 5.

The piercing element 4 is connected to the free ed e of the plate 2 by a shank 6, and the sti ening rib 5 is adapted to extend centrally through the shank 6 to stifien and strengthen the same. Thus the rib 5 tends to hold the piercing element 4 with its con necting shank 6 against bending or break- 1ng when in use. 1

The piercing element 4 is formed with a sharp point 7 and shoulders 8 on the rear portion of the same, which are adapted to engage the bottle cap 9 when the cap remover A is in use. It is not always necessary to force the piercing element through the paper cap 9 to remove the same, but if it is desired, the cap can be pried oil by piercing the same with the sharp point 7 and then prying) upward with the piercing element, there y easily removing cap 9.

In forming or stamping the cap remover A from the thin sheet material 1, the usual bur edge 10 is formed about the engaging plates 2 and 3. To prevent extra labor of removing the same, the plates 2 and 3 are bent so as to have the bur edge 10 turned toward the inside, as is illustrated in Fig. 2. This construction prevents the danger of cutting the fingers of the user on the cap remover A on the bur edge of the plates 2 and 3. For convenience a hole 11 is formed in the plate 2 so that the cap remover A can be hung in any convenient place in the kitchen, as is the case with other kitchen utensils.

In use, the bottle cap remover A is held between the thumb, index and middle fingers, and the piercing element 4 formed through the bottle cap 9. The remover 9 is then turned quarter turn on the shank 6 and pulled upward by the fingers, which auto matically causes pressure of the fingers against the engaging plates 2 and 3, compressing the same to form a wedge shaped gripping member. By means of the wedge shaped spring gripping member formed by the plates 2 and 3, it is not necessary to exert a large amount of pressure on the plates 2 and 3 when pulling on the same to prevent the fingers from slipping off the engaging plates, as the case would be if the engaging plates were rigidly held parallel to each other. In fact, the harder the pull on the engaging plates 2 and 3, the more the pressure to compress the same will be, and plates 2 and 3 automatically compress until their free ends touch each other, thereby forming the wedge shaped gripping member between the finger tips of the user.

The plates 2 and 3, as shown, are rectangular in shape but it is obvlous that they ca b m de r ular or in a y other s table form or shape to accomplish the same results. It is also evident that the piercing element-4: can be of a difl'erent shape.

It is an important'feature to provide an inexpensive article Which can be usedeforr removing paper bottle caps in a convenient way Without danger of spilling the contents of the bottle.

While I have illustratedwone particular form of device, I desire to-have it understood 'that'l do not Wish to confine myself to .gagingplates formed from a single piece of thin sheet-;material bent U shape, said plates being substantially rectangular in shape and extending-parallel to --each-- other, apiercing element formed with and projectingcentrally from the free edge of one of said plates, a shank connecting said piercing element' with s'aid plate from which it projects,

said shank being of less width thanthe rear gaging platesstamped from a single piece of sheet material, said sheet material being bent U shape tozcause said plates tolie par.-

allel to each other with the'stamping buron the edge of .saidplates-ektending inwardly, a Wedgeshaped piercing t element, shank of less Width than the-rear end ofsaidpiercing "element anda \v'edge=shaped'- sti'fiening rih formed centrallythrough said piercing element and shank, said rib" increasing in Width and depth from the point ofisaid V piercing elementito the'headior rear'of said piercing elementis connected;

plercing element and plate to hich said FRANK J. RIsToFEK;

flopiesviof this patent may be obtained 101' five cents each,- -byaddressing-the-4 ominissioner of Patents, Washington, no? r Y 

